TNO, Perovion Technologies and Lift PV are set to collaborate closely on the further development and production of flexible perovskite solar panels. With support from the National Growth Fund and SolarNL, the organisations – together with partners Kalpana Technologies, SparkNano and Taylor – are building a Dutch value chain for lightweight, flexible energy solutions.
The collaboration, which is set out in a Joint Development Agreement, focuses on the further development of flexible perovskite solar cells into certified, sustainable modules suitable for commercial applications. Examples include lightweight solar panels for the roofs of commercial buildings, façades, infrastructure, vehicles and other locations where traditional solar panels are difficult or impossible to install. The aim is to bring the product to market within a few years and to establish commercial production in the Netherlands by 2030.
Significance for the energy transition and strategic autonomy
Flexible perovskite technology plays a key role in accelerating the energy transition. Thanks to its light weight, minimal use of materials and wide range of applications, solar energy can be integrated in far more locations than is possible with rigid, conventional solar panels. As such, this innovation contributes directly to making the built environment, infrastructure and mobile applications more sustainable, as well as to achieving national and European climate targets.
Applications
The Dutch market for this type of solar panel alone is estimated to reach several gigawatts in the coming years, with applications including building-integrated solar energy, logistics property, infrastructure, mobility and off-grid energy systems. By anchoring knowledge, production capacity and intellectual property in the Netherlands, the parties aim to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains and strengthen Europe’s technological leadership and competitiveness.
Complete roll-to-roll pilot line
TNO, Perovion and LiftPV each play their own complementary role within the value chain for flexible perovskite solar panels. TNO has more than ten years’ experience in perovskite solar cell research and possesses advanced facilities for flexible thin-film technology and upscaling, including roll-to-roll processes and spatial ALD techniques. TNO is developing a complete roll-to-roll pilot line for the production of perovskite cells, enabling this technology to be applied on a larger scale.
Industrialisation of front-end perovskite cell technology
Perovion, a spin-off based on TNO technology, focuses on the industrialisation of front-end perovskite cell technology: the production of the active solar cell stack on flexible film. Perovion is working on scalable roll-to-roll production processes and on the future supply of perovskite cells to module integration partners.
Processing perovskite cells into solar panels
LiftPV focuses on the further processing of perovskite cells into complete, robust and certified solar panels. The company builds on over 25 years’ experience in the industrial roll-to-roll production of flexible solar panels and possesses extensive knowledge of module design, encapsulation and certification.
By combining these roles, an integrated approach is created in which technology development, industrialisation and market validation can be accelerated in parallel. The collaboration aims to lay the foundations for a Dutch production chain for flexible perovskite solar panels. Simon Bambach, CEO of LiftPV: “LiFT PV has extensive experience in roll-to-roll solar film production. This new collaboration will accelerate the roll-out of robust, market-ready solutions to further speed up the energy transition and, with it, energy independence.”
SolarNL as a catalyst
The National Growth Fund (NGF) has awarded a grant of 49 million euros within SolarNL for the further development of this innovation. The collaboration forms part of wider national investment in solar innovation and aims to strengthen the entire value chain: from research and pilot production to commercial manufacturing. In addition to TNO, LiFT and Perovion, Kalpana, Sparknano and Taylor are also involved in the project.
Important step
Mark Overwijk, Director of Energy Supply at TNO: “With SolarNL, we are taking an important step towards bringing flexible perovskite solar cell technology from the lab to industrial application. The collaboration with Perovion and LiftPV directly links technology development with upscaling and market launch.”
See also: TNO: The Netherlands can play a key role in innovative solar cell technology
Source and image: TNO
